Vegetable production on small farms and gardens has predominately relied on hand labor. One activity that is especially tedious and time consuming is the process of transplanting vegetables from small pots into planting rows. Hand transplanting involves physically strenuous exertion due to continuous bending and stooping. Most small scale producers who grow vegetables for local community markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) already own relatively inexpensive walk-behind tractors with power take-off (PTO) capabilities, however, there are currently no automated mechanical transplanters that work with walk-behind tractors.
The need exists for an effective transplanting tool to mechanically transplant vegetables using small scale walk-behind tractors. The transplanter described herein enables small farmers to utilize power from the walk-behind tractor (through the tractor's PTO) to effectively transplant vegetable crops and to ensure good root system-to-soil contact. The transplanter is operated by one person who simultaneously operates the transplanter and drives the walk-behind tractor. In the preferred embodiment, auxiliary racks of transplant vegetables can be attached to the tractor to enable the operator to reload the transplanter and thereby continuously transplant multiple plants. In a further alternative embodiment, the transplanter can be configured to plant more than one row simultaneously.